Thanks To You, Our Advertisers & Readers, We Begin Our 40th Year

About Town began in the Summer of 1984 as The Guide To New Paltz. The Guide’s founders were Liz Weisz, Elena Erber, Karen Thompson, and yours truly. By 1988, the publication had grown to incorporate other Ulster County towns. To accommodate the expanded area, we changed its name to About Town (AT). Within a few [Read More…]

A Solid Heritage

This article is edited, corrected, and shortened from its original publication in About Town, Summer edition 1993 Head west from Rosendale village on Route 213 and after the Turco Water Company caves, make a right at the Brooklyn Bridge. OK, so it is not precisely the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a replica of John and [Read More…]

College Hill, Poughkeepsie, NY

Looking at the postcard images throughout this issue, it is easy to understand Poughkeepsie’s “Queen City” designation. In the 1800s, Poughkeepsie was a beautiful, bustling, wealth-generating place bursting with industry, culture, philanthropy, imagination, and education. The city’s most significant enabler, the Hudson River, and later the railroads, brought materials, people, and investment to the area. [Read More…]

Where There’s Smoke…

This is a story that jumps around like water on a hot griddle. It jumps in time and it jumps in geography. When the smoke clears, I hope you have a greater appreciation for the history of our local fire departments, your investment in them, and their hundreds of volunteers. March 17, 1891. Highland. The [Read More…]

Perrine’s Bridge: Celebrating 200 Years

For two hundred years, Perrine’s Covered Bridge has crossed the Wallkill River at Rifton in the Town of Esopus just four miles north of the New Paltz village. In the early nineteenth century, it was one of three bridges within a 10 miles span of the Wallkill in the Town of New Paltz, which had [Read More…]

View More Articles & Stories